England police have found and seized a 3-D printer along with the firearm pieces it "printed," which could be used to create Britain's first viable firearm made from a 3-D Printer, CNN reported.
After searching the location near the Baguley area, the Greater Manchester Police said in a news release that a plastic magazine and trigger were found along with the 3-D printer on Friday, "which could be fitted together to make a viable 3-D gun."
A second statement released emphasized the pieces found still needed further investigation.
"We need to be absolutely clear that at this stage, we cannot categorically say we have recovered the component parts for a 3-D gun," assistant chief Constable Steve Heywood said in the statement. "What we have seized are items that need further forensic testing by national ballistics experts to establish whether they can be used in the construction of a genuine, viable firearm. It they are found to be viable components for a 3-D gun, it would be the first ever seizure of this kind in the UK."
Concerns have been raised since the idea of using the 3-D printers to create weapons submerged earlier this year, according to CNN. According to the news agency, Heywood said the seizure has prompted the discussion of whether 3-D printers pose potential threats in regards to producing illegal firearms.
"Clearly the fact we have seized a 3-D printer and have intelligence about the possible production of a weapon using this technology is of concern. It (is) prudent we establish exactly what these parts can be used for and whether they pose any threat," he said in the statement.
Cody Wilson, a Texas law student and founder of Defense Distributed, had posted instructions for printing a handgun using a 3-D printer on the website earlier this year until the U.S. State Department ordered him to take it down, CNN reported. He agreed, but by that time it had been downloaded more than 100,000 times.
Wilson also posted a video online that showed a shot being fired from "The Liberator," a plastic handgun created entirely of pieces made from a 3-D printer except a "metal firing pin and a piece of metal included to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act," CNN reported.
Currently, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London have two models of the Liberator pistol which were on display last month as part of a design exhibition, as does the Science Museum in London right now, according to CNN.
